Car-door and operating means therefor.



G. H. ANDERSON.

GAR DOOR AND OPERATING MEANS anasron.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Jan.21, 1913.

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APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 12, 1910.

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' G. H. ANDERSON.

GAR DOOR AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1910.

1,51,054. Patented Jan.21,1913.

5 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2. I

c. H. ANDERSON. OAR DOOR AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR. APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 12, 1,910.

1,051 ,054., Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

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O. H. ANDERSON. GAB DOOR. ANDQOPERATING MEANS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-12, 1910.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

O. H. ANDERSON. GAR noon AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 12, 1910. 1,051 ,054. Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

fizveziz Carzasj%nderda7z 4 um'rsn s're'rns OFF Ion Lesaasirsemcatim of a Patent Patented J an. 21, 1913.

Application mm November 12, min. Serial No. seam To whom it may aomcem:

Be it known that'I, Guanine H. Annmson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county King and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Car- Door and Operating Means Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to provide a car-door and operatingmeans therefor, all of an improved construction adapted, more especially, for side-entrance passenger-coat: es employed in interurban service.

I have devised my invention with a view to providing a car with entraneeand exit doors which may be quickly opened and closed from a distance and which in opening fold in a manner to occupy but little space, as required by the construction of the car. In interurban service toavoid danger of accident the car-doors should be operated only by one in authority. In the case of a train of several cars it is desirable that the doors of all the cars should be opened by the motorman when he comes to a full stop and be closed by the conductor or collector on each car, whereby the closing of the door last closed may be utilized to operate as a signal to the motorman to start the train. In the case of a single car of the ay-asyou-enter or pay-within type, where t e conductor remains in one position, the o enin and closing ofthe doors may safely be le to him. i

In the accompanying drawings, wherein my improvements are illustrated as applied to a steel car of the general construction shown and described, for example, in Letters Patent No. 943,213, granted to me December 14, 1909, Figures 1 and 2 are plan sections taken in a plane above the side entrance and exit doors of the car,

e in Fig. 5; Fig. 9, an enlarged broken sectional VlW on" line 9 in Fig'.'11, showing electro-pneumatic doorope ng andc smgm nis whereby t o s may be opened by the motorman and closed by the conductor; Fig. 10, a diagrammatic View of an electric circuit; Fig. 11, a section on '12 in Fi 11; and Fig. 13, a view in the nature 0 across-section of the body of a ay-as-you-enter, sideentrance car, showin means whereby the door may be both opened and closed from the conductors position.-

The numerals 15 represent the door-posts and 16 the center-post which divides the opening in the side of the car into two doorways. -In each of said door-ways is a pair of right and left doors or door-sections 17, 18, each formed of a pair of vertically-extending members 19, 20 fastened together with hinges 21. The doors are fastened by means of the hinges 22 to the door-posts 15, 16 and the free edges of each pair of d0or-members 19 meet when the doors are closed, as indicated in Fig. 3. In opening the door-members fold upon their hinges 2 1 as illustrated in Fig. 4. When closed the doors extend approximately flush with the outer-side of the car-body and in opening they fold over only the lowermost step 23 indicated in Fig. 13.

Extending across the top of each pair of doors is .a roller-guide plate 24 fastened securely in place and-having a groove 25 in its under side. Extending upward from the free edge-portion of each doormembe'r 19 is a pin 26 carryin a roller 27 which runs in the groove 25 o? 24. Mounted in front of the plates 24 is a horizontal shaft 28 passing through the bearing-projections 29 on the said plates 24 and through bearin -brackets 30 on the door-posts. The 'sha t is formed with the alternate right and left hand screws, as indicated, each of said screws carrying a with a pin 32 pivotally connected by means of a horizontal swing-link 33 witha bracket 34 secured to the top of the adjacent doorinemlicr 19. When'the shaft 28 is turned to cause the sleeves 31 to slide toward the respective bearings 29 the doors are unfolded and closed, the free" edges of the doorsections 19 bein guided to move in a line 11 in Fig. 9'; Fig. 12, asection on line I the respective plate traveling nut, sleeve or slide 31 provided straight line by t etravel of the rollers 27 .chain with the in the guide grooves 25. When the shaft I 28 is turned in the opposite :direction the slides 31 of each pair 0 doors travel away from each other causing their links 33 to flex the door-members on their hinges 21 and draw and fold them in an out of the way position, as indicated in Fig. 4, to open the door-ways.

Where, as before stated, the door is to be opened and closed from the conductors position, the shaft 28 may be provided in any convenient position along the same with a sprocket-wheel 35, and, as shown in Fig. 13, a short shaft 36 may be mounted in bearings 37 above the conductors platform 38. The shaft 36 carries a sprocket 39 connected by a sprocket 35, and it also carries a sprocket over which extends. an endless chain 41 hanging near the fare-box 42 convenient to the conductors position. A downward pull upon the chain 41 from one side will rotate the shaft 28 and open the doors 17, 1 8, and a downward pull upon the said chain from the opposite side will close the said doors.

Mounted at one end of the screw-shaft 28 is an air-motor 45 having an air-cylinder 46 and an oil-cylinder 47. Extending through the said cylinders is a shaft 48 carrying a vane 49 in the air-cylinder 46 and a vane 50, in the oil-cylinder 47, provided with an opening 51., On the cylinder 46 is a valve box 52 having a chamber 53 fitted with a slide-valve consisting of'a stem 54 and pistons 55, 56. In the valve-box are a central.

port 57 and exhaust ports 58, 59. The valvechamber 53 communicates with the air-cylinder through ports 60 and 61, in the relative positions shown and at opposite sides of a radial partition 62. In the oil-chamber 47 is a radial partition 63. Forming part of the air-motor structure is a gear-casing 64 containin a gear-wheel 65 keyed to the shaft 48. T e gear 65 meshes with a pinion 66 on the screw-shaft 28.

The pipe 67 shown in Fig. 9 may communicate with a source of fluid pressure as the main-reservoir of an air-brake system with which the car is equipped. The numeral 68 designates a magnetic-valve device containing a magnet 69 having a hollow core 7 O and an'armature 71 on a stem 73. The shell of the device-68 contains a port and valve-seat 74 through which communication is had from the pipe 67 to a pipe 75 connected with the port 57 of the valve-device 52. The said shell also contains a port and valve-seat 76 through which communication is had between the pipe 75 and an exhaust port 77. The stem 73 carries a valve 78 for the port 76 and a valve 79 for the port 74. Asprin 80 serves normally to raise the stem 73 and armature 71 whereby the valve 79 closes the and, it is thought, needs no further description in the present connection. The magnet" is in circuit with a battery or generator 81 and a normally open contact-switch 82} is shown in Fig. 9 by a spring 86. Connected with the lever is a cord 87 which may extend through the car in any convenient manner. The lower end-portion 88. of the lever is adapted to enter between the spring-contacts 83 and close the circuit therethrough. In practice, the chamber 47 is filled with oil.

When the vanes 49, 50 carried by the shaft 48 are in the position shown, the sleeves 31 on the screw-shaft 28 are slid to the position shown in Fig. 1, and the car-doors are closed. The slide-valve in the chamber 53 opens com; munication through said chamber between the.ports 57 and 60 and between the port 61 and exhaust-port 58. In practice, when the train comes to a full stop the motorman by closing the switch 82 will excite the magnet 69 and cause it to draw down the armature 71, close the valve 78 and open the valve'79.

This causes air from the pipe 67 to pass.

through the port 74, pipe 75 and ports 57, 60 into the cylinder 46 and drive the vane 49 in the direction of the arrow until it arrives at the opposite side of the partition v62. The air in front of the vane exhausts through the ports 61, 58. In this movement of the vane 49 the shaft 48 and gear 65 are given nearly one revolution, whereby they turn the pinion 66 and shaft 28 several revolutions and sufliciently to move the slides 31 to open and fold the doorsinto the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The purpose of the oilchamber 47 and perforated vane 50 therein is to cause the shaft 48 to turn with the desired moderate speed and without jar.

When the doors are opened the motorman the circuit and permitting the spring 80 to close the valve 79, and open the valve 78. When the conductor desires to close the doors he pulls upon the cord 87, thereby sliding the valve to open communication between the ports 57, 61 and betwegn the port 60 and exhaust port 59. *At the same time the part 88 of the lever closes the circuit at the contacts 83, causing the. magnetic valve 68 to open the port 74 and close the port 76, whereby air-pressure from the pipe 67 will be exerted against the vane 49 to turn it back to the initial position shown, thus closing the doors.

It is to be understood that where the train is made up of two or more cars, the electric circuit wires would be coupled together between cars, so that all the doors can be opened by the motorman from the motormans cab. I

When the valves on the spring returned stems are in their normal positions, indicated in Fig. 9, the car-doors may be readily opened and closed by the conductor, employing the mechanism shown in Fig. 13, because the exhaust ports 58, 76, for the cylinder 46 at opposite sides of the vane 49, are both open. The motorman may open all the doors, as described, but he cannot close them owing to the positions of the slide-valves 55, 56. The conductor can close the doors on his own car, by pulling the cord 87, but cannot open them by that means.

For purposes of illustration merely, I show in Fig. 3 electric contact-fingers 90 which come together when the doors are completely closed. These contacts form making and breaking points. in a single electric circuit which extends throughout the train and is arranged to operate a suitable signaling device in the motormans cab. The circuit is open until all the doors are closed, and when this is effected the signal is actuated to inform the motorman of the fact that he may start the train. This system of signaling the motorman to start by the closing of the last door requires such a'simple and apparent electric installation that it is not thought necessary, in the present case, to encumber the drawings with a full illustration thereof.

While I prefer to construct my improvements throughout as shown'and described, they may be variously modified as to details without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the claims.

WVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a railway-car, the combination with the entrance-way, of a door therefor hung to swing horizontally on one edge and formed of vertical door-members hinged together so as to be foldable, a stationary guide extending parallel with the door when closed, and door opening and closing means comprising a screw-shaft, a slide upon said shaft, a swing-link connecting said slide with one of said door-members and means for rotating said shaft alternately in opposite directions.

2. In a railway-car the combination with the entrance-way, of a pair of oppositelyswinging doors therefor, each hinged at one edge and formed of members hinged together so as to be foldable, a stationary guide extending parallel with both doors when closed, and means for opening and closing both doors comprising a shaft provided with oppositely-threaded screw-sections, a slide upon each of said screw-sections, 2. swing-link connecting a member of each door with one of said slides, and means for rotating said shaft alternately in opposite directions.

3. In a railway-car the combination with the entrance-way, of a door therefor, and door-opening and closing means comprising a screw shaft, a slide upon the shaft, a swing-link connection between the slide and door, a motor operatively geared to said shaft, and means for starting, for stopping and for reversing said motor.

CHARLES H. ANDERSON.

In presence of R. A. RAYMOND, L. HEISLAR. 

